gratitude – Girl Gone Cuckoo

Tis’ the Season

Truth be told, I’ve got more backlogs than I can imagine {both in this blog and my Cuckoo blog} and I have so much to do that I don’t know where to start.

But today was a very good day and naturally, when you’ve had a good day, excitement is to the brim. It’s been one of those good ones where you realize and feel that really, everything will be alright. And honestly, it’s been a while. My days have been chaotic and rushed and overwhelming that it’s been a while that I’ve taken a break and just spent time with family and a little time with myself. Sure, I injected a bit of work today but panic did not ensue. There were no small dramas. Maybe, I’ll accept panic tomorrow {we have our last wedding to style on the 28th!} For now, I’ll cherish this day.

Cebu Fashion Bloggers Girl Gone Cuckoo Vanilla Ice Cream Gizelle Faye Dec 2015 OOTD-15 — white button-down shirt – thrifted | printed skirt – thrifted | wide-brimmed hat – cotton on | camel backpack – forever 21 | tan brogues – forever 21 | watch – aldo accessories | matte lip cream – australis, velour lips

The most important reason why today was a good day? I got to spend time with Harry and Maddy. Family is and will always be one giant happy pill. From us, the Honeybees to you:

“Happy Holidays! We wish that you’ve had more good days this season despite the rush and we hope you’ll have a wonderful year ahead! “

heaven sent

i took hiatus — quite a long one. it’s been almost a year actually but for good reason. my last few posts last year were melancholy, what with the loss we experienced. i tried to get back on my feet after a few bouts of depression and tried to accept that everything happens for a reason. and it did. a month after i turned 30, i found out that i was pregnant again. we were hush-hush about it, keeping the news as much as we can to ourselves, our family and close friends.

nine months and 22 hours of labor after, we met a heaven sent in the form of our flower child, Madison Rue. she is everything we expected and more. she gave us the gift of love that we thought we already had. on May 5, 2015, i became a mom.

see more of Maddy’s newborn photos on our photographer, Salt and Bleach’s blog.

thank you, darleng

this was your signature pose, darleng and i sincerely pray you get just that — peace.

though we’re still all recovering from the shock and disbelief but it is indeed too soon to be associating you with the word “was.” well death, they say, is always on time and that we should accept it. for now, all we can do is remember not your death but the life you lived.

i have to admit, i wasn’t always your biggest fan. the relationship you had with my sister was, for the lack of a better word, confusing but it made perfect sense to the both of you. over the last 2 years, i have seen my sister mature and learn to be independent. she has grown up to be kinder, more considerate and level-headed and it wouldn’t have happened if not for you. i have seen her sincerely and inexplicably in love. my sister has learned what it is to truly love without inhibitions, without conditions. for that, darleng, i thank you with all my heart. you changed her life and in turn, you changed ours. you will forever be missed. we love you!

to my readers, who have been patient enough to hang on after 2 weeks of being MIA, thank you. my family went through a shocking and tragic ordeal on the morning of Sinulog and we needed time to recover from the grief. my sister needs all the support so for now, i am a sister first, a wife second and a blogger third. as always, thank you for your support. life is a gift from God and we should cherish it everyday.

GIVEAWAY: Shop Yapi & Vanilla Ice Cream Gives Back!

it’s really been a while since i’ve hosted a giveaway here so as a comeback, i’m giving away awesome items (yes! it’s prural) for my blog readers and Facebook followers, locally and internationally. this is also a way to give my gratitude to my 900+ Facebook followers. i started that page to get to know equally awesome people outside my personal circle and i never expected to have such a following there. so for everyone, here’s my way of saying THANK YOU!

general giveaway mechanics:

as this is a giveaway to thank followers,

you must be a follower of Vanilla Ice Cream on facebook and/or the blog. ♥

giveaway runs from June 13 – July 4, 2011

FOR MY LOCAL READERS:

Facebook Giveaway:

A GIGI Pleated Floral Dress with matching INEZ Turquoise and Wood Necklace

how to join:

♥ must be a Vanilla Ice Cream follower on Facebook.

♥ post a statement on your wall tagging @Vanilla Ice Cream. something like:

“i want to win a Shop Yapi dress and necklace at @Vanilla Ice Cream”

(make sure i can see your entries on the Vanilla Ice Cream Facebook page)

For Blog Followers via Google Connect or Bloglovin’:

a YEDDA Green Handbag and a 20% Discount Card for Shopyapi.com.

how to join:

♥ must be a follower of the blog via google connect or bloglovin’

♥ leave a comment indicating: your name, e-mail address and blog site where i can contact you and how you followed Vanilla Ice Cream. here’s a sample comment:

name: gizelle faye

e-mail address: gizellefaye(at)yahoo.com / http://www.gizellefaye.blogspot.com

i follow the blog through Google Connect

extra entries: tweeted about the giveaway [link] and posted the giveaway on my FB wall [link]

extra entries — make sure to give me the link of your entry:

♥ follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway

“i want to win a #ShopYapi YEDDA bag by @gizellefaye“

♥ like the Vanilla Ice Cream Facebook page and post the giveaway on your wall tagging @Vanilla Ice Cream

“i want to win a #ShopYapi YEDDA bag at @Vanilla Ice Cream”

INTERNATIONAL READERS: A Paige Triangle Swimsuit

how to join:

♥ must be a follower of the blog via google connect or bloglovin’

♥ leave a comment indicating: your name, e-mail address and blog site where i can contact you and how you followed Vanilla Ice Cream. here’s a sample comment:

name: gizelle faye

e-mail address: gizellefaye(at)yahoo.com / http://www.gizellefaye.blogspot.com

i follow the blog through Google Connect

extra entries: tweeted about the giveaway [link] and posted the giveaway on my FB wall [link]

extra entries — make sure to give me the link of your entry:

♥ follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway

“i want to win a #ShopYapi PAIGE swimsuit by @gizellefaye“

♥ like the Vanilla Ice Cream Facebook page and post the giveaway on your wall tagging @Vanilla Ice Cream

“i want to win a #ShopYapi PAIGE swimsuit at @Vanilla Ice Cream”

the upside and the downside of things

i won’t assume that i have followers who read my every post (if you do, thank you so much!) but if you’ve noticed, i haven’t been updating as regularly as i used to. that’s one of the downsides i’ve been experiencing the first few months of 2011. work has taken too much of my time that the sun has gone down before i remember that i have to take outfit photos. the upside is that work has been hectic lately because of our new clients and of bigger projects we’ll be embarking on in the next few months. other downsides and upsides:

downside vs upside

i miss my sister so much even how she annoys me

but

i am definitely loving having the room completely to myself

i have to get my car muffler fixed because it’s roaring like a race car-wannabe

but

at least i don’t have to suffer the taxi fare hike

i have to cut back on expenses — so i can’t buy new shoes anymore..gaaaah!

but

i don’t have to suffer the night shift and can work during the day

it’s been said that we can have everything we want in life, just not always at the same time. so instead of fretting over the downsides, think of the upside and be thankful for it. as long as we have the patience and perseverance to wait to be blessed with everything we want, being thankful for the good things, even the small ones, can’t hurt.

so regarding my outfit posts, if i can’t have time to take photos during the day, please bear with the ones indoor that i take in my room right when i get home form work. the lighting may be different in each shot (perfect example: the photos above) but i’m doing my very best. ♥

black lace-detailed top – thrifted

black and white electri-pleated skirt – thrifted

black lace-up cuban heels – parisian, sm dept store

studded belt – pratunam, bangkok

necklace: elephant tusk – bangkok | watch necklace – hongkong

oversized charm bracelet – carbon find

rocking horse ring – carbon find

orange howlite ring – dane’s giveaway

a solace from insecurities

as i was editing these photos today, i realized that my lips are extra pouty in them. upon closer look, they turn out to be my natural pout which is funny because i remember being so insecure about them as a child. when i was just a kid, my mom would sometimes scold me and tell me to purse my lips because i’ve pouted them too much. then this realization led me to another one — that as a kid, i’ve had way to many insecurities about myself and i can’t believe i have overcome them.

it wasn’t until high school that i full embraced my curls. i used to comb them really hard in elementary and pretend i had straight hair like the girls in movies. it wasn’t until second year high school when i stopped combing them, just shook them off after applying hair lotion and allowed them to air dry.

it also used to take me a while to try on a trend because the consciousness with my body preceded my courage to try them out. it took me months to try on the skinny jeans, the ankle booties or the wedges because i was so conscious of my rounder, more muscular legs. now, i can’t part with them.

apart from growing up and making fashion mistakes along the way while learning from them, this blog, more importantly has taught me to love myself more. to try out new things, new looks and to think outside the box when it comes to styling. if you’re reading this and you’re a style blogger, what have you learned from blogging about your style? if you’re not a style blogger, what kind of blog do you maintain and what have you learned from it? i’m looking forward to your answers.

ps. thank you all so much for giving me amazing, romantic and even naughty suggestions for way harry and i can celebrate our 36th month together. find out how we did celebrate it, on my friday post!

oversized polo – thrifted

white tank top – thrifted

skinny jeans – chilly papa

eggshell mesh cuban-heeled booties – parisian, sm dept store

studded belt – pratunam, bangkok

brass cuffs – carbon find

faux gold necklace – carbon find

brown sunnies – carbon find

thank you | 200 followers give-away

i am still amazed at how people take the time to read my blog.

thank you with all my heart.

you guys have given me much inspiration and have been at one point or another, all i could depend on. thanks for making me smile.

to join the give-away is very simple and only have 2 musts:

make sure to be a follower of my blog (comment if you’re following through google or blog lovin’)
answer this question: “with what outfits are you going to pair these accessories with?”

you can get an additional entry by:

mentioning this give-away in your blog (please tell me the link of the post in a comment)

this give-away is open to everyone around the globe and ends on may 28, 2010 and the winner will be announced on that day.

you can only do so much

i love it when i go about the house while everyone else is sleeping. it allows me to be me, silently. this week has been harder for me at work because i’m literally starting from scratch. i had to create new trackers and other files to support the group and to track accurate data of our performance. in other words, i have been burning my ass, typing on my seat with hardly any breaks and yet, i’m still a lot behind on other deliverables. how can this be? if not for the vogue feature and harry keeping my mood up, i would have broken down. leadership is after all about service but i can only do so much.

so, at 5:00 AM, just as my shift is on its 9th hour, i sigh, look at my unfinished work, pack my bags and drive myself through the silent city.

i’ve said this and i’m gonna’ say it again — thanks for the support of this blog and for taking the time out to not only check my outfits but also read what i have to say. it means a lot.

striped top – thrifted

brown leggings – random buy

brown peep-toe platforms – matthews at cmg

rings: black spade – props | round animal print – props

song on my mind: soldier on by the temper trap

forever thankful

in college, my friends and i were blogging to share more stories of our lives, mainly just to each other. the sentimental and emotional person that i am unconsciously made it to a blog filled with feelings. i eventually stopped blogging in 2006 because i got too busy with work and the dawn of multiply and myspace at that time took more of my web-time than blogging.

mid-2009, i discovered karla de rass and i was hooked.

around november 2009, i decided to turn my personal blog into this.

fashion has always been an essential part of my life even when people say it’s just vanity.

my style is the way i express myself and my mood. it’s one of my forms of art.

documenting my outfits — daily and what-not, have pushed me to be more creative with myself.

it has secretly given me the excuse to go beyond boundaries and wear whatever i like.

but staying true to myself, this blog will never be just about fashion but also about my life.

it will be filled with feelings — yes, sometimes mushy ones. and rants.

it will be filled with adventures. loves. laughs. heartaches. triumphs.

and i am forever thankful for my 100 followers who have been putting up with me.

your comments, believe it or not, have made my day in more ways than you can think of.

you have all made this adventure damn worthwhile!

ps. 100 followers give-away will be posted soon! keep posted!

purple and grey floral tent dress – thrifted

black cropped cardigan – thrifted

layered-chains necklace – props (new stocks!)

black faux croc belt – props

suede black peep-toe booties – celine (a gift from harry)

work watch – swatch

sunnies – thrifted at carbon